It is known that many weight loss diet plans are based on reduced caloric intake, as obtained by a more or less balanced reduction of the amount of ingested food. This method may lead to a general deficiency of proteins, glucides, vitamins and mineral salts, with detrimental effects on the organism and with the risk that, once the diet ends, the lost weight will be easily regained, also due to psychosomatic factors.
Furthermore, for a low calorie diet to be balanced especially when adopted under medical control, it has to be followed very slow, with the diet cycle becoming unacceptably long for many subjects.
Another drawback of this kind of diet is that when a human body is subjected to a low caloric intake, it reacts by decreasing fat consumption and slowing down the basal metabolism which represents about 70% of the total consumption in mammals and human beings, thereby causing a reduction of the lean body mass and the muscle tone, as well as tiredness and over-fatigue sensations.
Furthermore, once the diet cycle has ended, recovery of the lean body mass requires accumulation of larger amounts of fat mass, which induces the so-called “yo-yo effect”. After an off period, the cycle is thus repeated with the same effects, and this leads to progressive damaging of the muscle mass and health of the subject.
Meal replacements, such as the typical nutritionally balanced bars have been introduced to simplify and improve low calorie diets. Consumption of these meals can correspond to a classical balanced reduction of caloric intake or a “normal calorie” diet, and has the advantage of being practical and ensuring correct dosing, while avoiding the need of weighing food. This “normal calorie” balanced diet is an optimal solution to maintain one's own ideal weight and health but not to lose weight in a controlled and healthy manner.
For effective and healthy weight loss, the caloric intake has to be reduced in response to each individual's needs, while following a varied and balanced diet, and preserving the lean body mass and the vital parts of the body. This goal may be achieved by creating some food deficiency, which has to be sharply targeted and not generalized, without suppressing proteins, vitamins, mineral salts, that are indispensable for normal operation of vital organs, for support to the musculature and for body tone. Particularly, the fats and sugars will have to be reduced, but not suppressed.
Therefore, an ideal weight loss diet shall provide a reduced caloric intake while ensuring that the body receives proper amounts of proteins, mineral salts, fats and sugars. No natural food has been known heretofore that combines all the above features while allowing weight loss.
Protein supplements have been known and widely used for many years, especially by sportsmen and body-builders.
These supplements, which typically contain essentially large amounts of proteins to increase the muscle mass and creatine provide more energy during sports performances, as well as antioxidants, vitamins and other microadditives. These protein supplements are perfectly functional to enhance the athletes' performances but not to lose weight. Furthermore, these supplements may be hardly digestible, reduce peristalsis, by causing the stomach and intestine to swell, and over-fatigue or damage the liver and kidneys that cannot fully remove excess proteins.
The international application WO2004/014153 and the European patent application EP-A-1604677 disclose examples of known, dietary supplements.